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Flying foxes continue to cause concern

Calls for changes to legislation as Maitland Council struggles to deal with a flying fox colony at Lorn.

Audience submitted: Barb Leopold

Maitland Council is this week expected to endorse a recommendation to write to State and Federal MPs calling for changes to legislation regarding threatened species.

It follows efforts to move on a population of flying foxes at Lorn, where there are currently around 8,000 of the animals.

Council has two licences, provided under the Threatened Species Conservation Act, giving it permission to lop the trees where the flying foxes are roosting.

But Council's General Manager David Evans says they have been unable to proceed with the work, because of the perceived impact the lopping would have on the animals.

"Because there are such involved considerations that sit around all of this and given the concern and angst that it does cause to residents we hold a strong view that there is a case for some sort of legislative reform that allows for some higher level of consideration to be given in terms of the impact the camp can have on residents," he said.

Mr Evans says a Council report recommends Councillors write to State and Federal MPs calling for legislative change.

"It then becomes a matter for the State and or Federal Governments," he said.

"But the key issue here is and it is understandable, the legislation very much favours preservation of threatened species and we respect that, but we do feel there is an absence of consideration for residents when they find themselves living in such close proximity to a flying fox camp."